Published 4:00 am, Saturday, April 1, 2006

Shoe-boom, shoe-boom

We're seeing a lot of it lately: year 2000 deja vu. Today's sign of Bubble 2.0? You can once again design your own shoes online.

Back in the boom time, I had a great time designing a pair of bowling-shoe-like cross trainers. Of course, Customatix.com, the site where I designed them, disappeared before I ever got around to placing that order. I have often thought of those would-be shoes with regret.

No more. On Friday I went to Converse's Web site and created a personalized pair of Chuck Taylors not unlike that lost pair of shoes from e-commerce past.

What does it say about me that nearly six years later I am still into the same shoe style? Let's stick to the issue here: Some of those cool ideas that fell by the wayside in the Internet bust are finally finding their way back online. Lucky consumers. -- Carrie Kirby

Phish bait

Chronicle staffer Benny Evangelista received this ironic phishing attempt recently. Now that banks are routinely warning their customers about phishing, this enterprising crook created a phish warning about phishing.

Chase Personal Banking always look forward for the high security of our clients. Some customers have been receiving an email claiming to be from Chase Manhattan advising them to follow a link to what appear to be a Chase web site, where they are prompted to enter their personal Online Banking details. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is in no way involved with this email and the web site does not belong to us.

Chase Bank is proud to announce about their new updated secure system. We updated our new SSL servers to give our customers a better, fast and secure online banking service.

Due to the recent update of the servers, you are requested to please update your account info at the following link.

(Link removed to protect the innocent from following it.)

*Important*

We have asked few additional information which is going to be the part of secure login process. These additional information will be asked during your future login security so, please provide all these info completely and correctly otherwise due to security reasons we may have to close your account temporarily.

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. For assistance, log in to your Chase Manhattan Online Bank account and choose the "Help" link on any page. -- Carrie Kirby

Intel Corp. spokesman Howard High retired Friday after 27 years of fielding questions from tech reporters like me. Obviously the chip giant has prospered through far more important turnovers, starting with the passing of its guiding light, Robert Noyce.

But the character of a big company is a many-faceted jewel that is cut, in part, by the interactions of its public relations staff and an often-skeptical press corps. I've dealt with Intel on tough stories over the years. Howard High always set the standard of behavior for the PR side of the news divide.

Big ideas, like Silicon Valley, are like mosaics assembled by many little hands. One of those honored old hands stepped out of the game Friday. It's only fitting that those of us who remain send best wishes his way.